When thick smoke billowed from a small convenience store and crackling sounds echoed, a crowd of worried onlookers gathered outside, fearing the explosion of a gas cylinder that could threaten lives and properties along the whole street. In the midst of the anxious crowd, a female hairdresser rushed into the store and managed to calm down a disaster.
Published on Minghui.org, the female hairdresser shared her unforgettable experience in a submission celebrating May 13th. Here is her story:
I am a hairdresser. One day, while I was cutting a customer’s hair, I noticed that all the customers waiting in line were looking outside through the window. I also glanced outside and saw thick smoke coming from a snack shop across the street, with people gathering in front of it. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, I quickly communicated with the customers, set down my work, and ran out of the shop towards the snack shop.
The onlookers were in panic, and sounds like firecrackers echoed from the smoke-filled snack shop. People in the crowd were saying, “The gas cylinder is about to explode.” Some mentioned that they had contacted the fire department, but they might not arrive in time. Others expressed concerns about the potential catastrophic consequences if the fire reached the transformer behind the house. The mood was grim with fears that lives and properties along the whole street were at risk.
Neighbors also hurried to the scene, displaying an array of emotions from shock to fear and urgency. No one dared to enter the shop, fearing an imminent gas explosion that could jeopardize lives.
At that moment, the owners of the snack shop returned, with the woman sitting paralyzed in tears at the doorstep and the man in extreme distress. It turned out that the couple had left the gas cylinder burning while unattended and a pot of oil on the stove. The oil had already burned dry, and the iron pot was cracking continuously…
Allow me to introduce myself. At the age of 25, I was fortunate to obtain the book Zhuan Falun. Not sleeping for a night, with excitement and enthusiasm, I finished reading the entire book. In the morning, I felt like a new person, filled with boundless energy. Reflecting on past hardships and injustices, I laughed it off, resolved to cultivate diligently. Over time, family and friends witnessed the profound changes in my body and mind after practicing Falun Dafa.
However, in the second year of my cultivation in 1999, the Chinese Communist Party launched the persecution against Falun Dafa. Facing the Party’s lies that poisoned society, I understood that safeguarding Dafa was every practitioner’s responsibility.
In daily life, I held myself to the standards of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, treating every customer in my shop with kindness. I brushed off losses and grievances, forgave injuries, and used good intentions to awaken customers and neighbors. Over a decade, almost all my customers renounced their affiliations with the Communist Party. I built a good reputation, and over the years, my shop had a steady flow of customers.
Returning to the day when the snack shop was on the verge of exploding, putting the whole street at risk. With the situation critical, time was of the essence. I advised the owners of the shop to stay calm and sincerely recite “Falun Dafa is good” on May 13th celebration. The woman, already too frightened to speak, held onto my hand, asking for guidance on how to handle the situation. I kept reminding her to sincerely recite “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.”
In the face of emergency, someone had to go in to assess the situation and stop the fire, but no onlooker dared. Realizing that I was a Falun Dafa practitioner and for the sake of the couple and the lives and properties on the street, I felt compelled to act. With the protection of my Master, I believed nothing would happen to me. I had to validate the practice.
Urgently, I plunged into the thick smoke and crackling fire inside the shop.
Once inside, visibility was poor, and I could barely see my surroundings.
I followed the light of the kitchen fire, finding the gas cylinder glowing red all over, emitting intense heat that kept me at a distance.
Witnessing the scene inside, I was astonished and felt my flesh trembling. I struggled to compose myself, stood still, and recited “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good” repeatedly, firmly believing my Master was by my side, asking for his help.
After a short while, a neighbor saw that I entered safely and followed (he learned the truth and renounced his ties to the Party). Somehow finding the strength, we worked together swiftly and magically, kicking open a window, grabbing a wet cloth, throwing the pot out of the window, and shutting off the main valve… A series of operations performed rapidly and miraculously.
Upon emerging from the shop with the neighbor, the female owner clung to me in tears, saying, “Thank you! Sister!” Many in the crowd recognized me as a Falun Dafa practitioner, offering admiring glances. I reassured the woman, saying, “You must thank Master Li, it was Master Li who saved you.”
As the thick smoke dissipated, we re-entered the shop, only to be shocked by what we saw: A severed live wire hanging in the doorway I had to pass through to reach the kitchen, shrouded in smoke, blocking my visibility! The people inside were stunned, and I too stood astonished for a moment. I knew it was Master’s protection… and those present were equally amazed.
After the incident, the female owner of the snack shop began reading the Falun Dafa book Zhuan Falun.
If it weren’t for practicing Falun Dafa, a timid woman like myself would have surely chosen to watch and protect myself in times of danger. The selfless courage I displayed in risking my safety for others in need wouldn’t have existed without the practice. It was Falun Dafa that taught me the vital importance of altruism and sacrificing oneself for others, ultimately saving lives and properties along the whole street.
Source: Minghui.org